Flying Cars In PA? Local Lawmaker Wants To Regulate Them

HARRISBURG, PA — Airplanes do not yet have to compete for space in the sky with roadable aircraft, more commonly known as flying cars. But a Pennsylvania lawmaker wants the state to be prepared for the day when that Jetsons-like moment occurs.

State Sen. Marty Flynn of Lackawanna County plans to introduce legislation allowing flying cars to travel both on roadways as a motor vehicle and be flown in the sky as an aircraft. That may seem like a pie in the sky idea, but Minnesota and New Hampshire already recognize roadable aircraft as vehicles allowed on their roadways.

Additionally, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs on Wednesday announced her intent to make the state a hub of emerging roadable aircraft technology. According to Hobbs, the advanced air mobility market is estimated to be valued at $115 billion by 2035; the industry also is projected to create 280,000 jobs across the country by then.

In a memo to colleagues, Flynn said his legislation "would afford Pennsylvania an opportunity to be one of the first states to introduce this revolutionary technology and provide a framework for any special requirements such as licensing, registration and safety inspection for roadable aircraft."

Regulating the technology might be needed sooner rather than later. Earlier this year, CNN reported that the Federal Aviation Administration certified for testing Alef Automotive's flying car. The California company expects to sell the vehicle for $300,000 each and have the first available for sale by the end of 2025.

Flynn believes that when it comes to the possibilities flying cars could generate, the sky is the limit.

"Advanced air mobility has the potential to generate new revolutionary transportation options and transform how people access essential services, like emergency and medical services, goods, and mobility across urban, rural, and regional communities," he said.